Car-coupling



(No Model.)

' W. LEWTON.

GAR COUPLING.

Patented AprJZ- 1889.

62V wu fi jg Snow UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFicE.

. GEORGE WILLIS LEWTON, OF 'ELDORA, IOWA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,695, dated April 2, 1889.

Serial No. 295 ,830. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE WILLIS LEW= TON, a citizen of-the United States, residing at Eldora, in the county of Hardin and State of Iowa, have invented. a new and useful Improvement in Gar-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in car-couplings; and it consists in certain novel features hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a car-coup'lin g embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the two draw-heads coupled together. Fig. 3is a View showing a different arrangement. Referring to the drawings by letter, A designates the end of the car, having the improved draw=head B secured thereto in the usual or any preferred manner. The drawhead is provided at its front end with the vertical notch or open=ended slot 0, and in the face of the end of the draw=head, at the lower end of said slot, I form the transverse recess D. The interior of the draw-head is hollowed out, so that the walls of the slot or notch 0 form lips E, which are engaged by the coupling-link, as will be presently described.

The draw-head is provided in its rear portion with the inclined slots F, which extend upwardly and rearwardly, and in which the crank-shaft G is mounted, the said shaft bein g free to play longitudinally of the said slot and prevented from lateral play therein by the washers H H, secured to the shaft and bearing against the sides of the drawhead.

The shaft is provided at it-sends with the crank-arms I I, by means of which it may be operated from the sides of the car, as will be readily understood, and it is further provided at an intermediate point of its length with the crank-arm J, to the end of which I secure the lower end of a chain, K, which extends to the top of the car, so that the said shaft may be operated from that point.

L designates a rock-shaft mounted on the end of the car, and provided at its end with the forwardly-extending loops M M, which are adapted to engage the arms I I when it is desired to hold the coupling-link raised. A chain or rod, N, extends from one of these loops to the top of the car, so that said rockshaft can be operated from the top of the car by the said rod or chain, or can be operated from the side of the car by using one of the said loops as a crank-arm. I

The coupling link O is secured at its rear end to the rock shaft G, and extends forward therefrom through the slot O in the end of the draw-head, and is provided at its front end with a cross=head, P, as shown. In practice the coupling-link of each draw-head is raised and the two draw-heads then brought together, after which the coupling-links are lowered, the cross-heads of the links engaging the rear sides of the links E of the opposite draw-heads and the body of the link passing through the slots 0. Each coupling-link is thus caused to pull directly on the drawhead, so that the cars will be effectively coupled together. By causing the arms I I at the ends of the shaft G to be engaged by the loops M M at the ends of the rock-shaft L,the coupling-link will be held in its raised position, so that the cars can be drawn apart. In case the cars should come together while the coupling-links are lowered, the shaft G will ride upward in the slot F, and the crosshead P of the coupling-link will thereby be drawn within the recess E, so that the blow will be received entirely by the end of the draw head.

My improved car-coupling is strong and durable, is composed of few parts, and is very compactly arranged. The draw -heads are provided on their sides, at their front ends, with the lateral projections a, through which an ordinary coupling-pin may be passed to effect a pin-and-link coupling, as indicated in the plan view.

The coupling-linksare also provided with slots, so that they can be coupled to an ordinary pin-and-link coupling. If so 6 esired, the drawhead may be coupled by separate links, as shown in Fig. 4, which may be of any desired form.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. The combination, with the car and the draw-head, of the rock-shaft L, mounted on the ear and having the loops M at its ends, and the shaft G, mounted in the draw-head and carrying the coupling-link and provided at its ends with the arms I I, adapted to be engaged by the loops M, as set forth.

2. The combination, with a draw-head having the slot C and recess D in its front end and the inclined slot F in its upper rear portion, of the shaft G, mounted in said slot F, and the coupling-link secured to said shaft and extending forward therefrom through the slot 0, and provided at its front end with the crosshead adapted to fall Within the recess E, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE \VILLTS LEVITON.

Witnesses:

JAMES F. HARDIN, HARVEY E. BATESON. 

